Chad Huffman knows all about the highs and lows of a baseball season.
Want proof? Look no further than Thursday, when the Toledo Mud Hens outfielder had a huge day at the plate in Columbus, only to suffer a painful injury that forced him out of Friday’s home game against Norfolk.
Huffman slammed a pair of home runs and finished the game against the Clippers with seven RBIs, the most for a Toledo player since 2012, in the Mud Hens’ win. But the next day, Huffman was hit on the left shin with a pitch and removed from the game against the Tides. He was limited to a pinch-hitting appearance Saturday and sat out Sunday’s game before returning to the lineup Monday.
But there has been more good than bad in 2018 for the 33-year-old Texan. In his first 33 games, he batted .298 with six home runs and 20 RBIs, scoring 22 runs.
Huffman, who signed with Detroit as a minor-league free agent in November, ranks third in the International League with a .553 slugging percentage and also is third with a .413 on-base percentage.
Perhaps the reason for Huffman’s success is his comfort in Toledo, where he was a midseason IL all-star in 2016. Huffman, who has played in 21 career major-league games including 12 a season ago with St. Louis, had 17 home runs and 70 RBIs two years ago with the Hens.
VIDEO: Chad Huffman talks about what, in his eyes, makes playing in Toledo special.
The Blade: What is it like having a huge day at the plate like Thursday, with the two home runs and seven RBIs?
Huffman: “Those are the days you wish you could always have, but they just happen. Every time I try to manufacture a big day like that, it never works out. On a day like that, you just have to get some pitches and hit them. You get into a groove, and you end up with a big day. You try to have a day like that every day, but it doesn’t always work out. I wish I could do that on demand, but I can’t.”
And the very next day, you start out with a good day — you just missed a home run in your first at-bat — but your day ends when you get hit by a pitch and have to leave the game. Suddenly you’re dealing with an injury. The game can change like the snap of a finger, can’t it?
“You want to stay in the game because you’re hitting well, and you want to ride hot streaks for as long as you can — hot streaks only last for a certain amount of time. But that wasn’t anything I could control, so you have to stay even-keeled.”
That is baseball in a nutshell, isn’t it? You can’t get too high with the highs and you can’t let the lows drag you down too low, can you?
“That’s something you learn through the course of a career: You have to deal with both highs and lows. In high school and college, if you’re a good player, you don’t have too many lows. So you have to learn that the lows can’t bring you down too low, and you have to learn that you can’t get too high with the highs. You can’t ride a roller-coaster.”
Was there a time in your career that you learned that baseball is both a game and a business?
“Anyone who has ever played the game long enough learns that baseball is a business. You can’t focus on that, though, because if your mind is on the business you can’t focus on playing the game very well. You need to focus on playing the game.
“But baseball is more of a game than a business. Growing up, stock brokers and businessmen don’t dream about trading stocks or running a business. But professional athletes grow up with that dream and spend their childhood working on those skills. Players put so much into the game.”
Does it become frustrating or upsetting that fans treat players like “commodities” — release that player, trade that guy, get rid of that player — and don’t realize that they are talking about human beings?
“It’s hard, especially if you are reading tweets and following rankings. If you read everything that’s said about you, you’re going to read negative things. That’s especially true when you first come up. It’s different to suddenly see people say and think negative things about you. You just have to stay as positive as you can and just focus on doing your work on the field.”
You played for the Mud Hens in 2016. What are your memories from that season?
“I have a lot of great memories. One of them was playing for [manager] Lloyd McClendon. I loved playing for Lloyd. He was a great manager and a great guy. I loved how he handled that team and how he went about his business. That year was fun; it was a great group of guys. And I really enjoyed playing in Toledo. This is a great town with great fans, and we play in a great ballpark. Everything from top to bottom is first class around here.”
Did that season play a role in re-signing with the Tigers this past offseason?
“It played a big role. I played well here, which played a part. But the biggest reason I signed with Detroit was because of the people. In the worst-case scenario I knew I would be playing Triple-A ball in Toledo, and there are a lot worse places to be. Obviously anyone who is satisfied to be here probably shouldn’t be playing any more, but if this is the worst-case scenario, this is a pretty good spot.”
Contact John Wagner at: jwagner@theblade.com, 419-724-6481, or on Twitter @jwagnerblade.
First Published May 29, 2018, 4:00 p.m.
